Aira Shiratori is one of the central characters in the manga series Dandadan. She was once a popular student at the same high school as Momo Ayase and Okarun, and she serves as a key ally to them when they confront paranormal challenges.
Aira is characterized by her short pink hair, which predominantly frames the left side of her face, and her grayish-brown eyes. She is considered very attractive by her male peers, a fact she is well aware of and takes great pride in.
Her typical outfit consists of her school uniform, which includes a dark button-up blazer adorned with her school emblem on the left breast, a collared shirt, a bow, a dark short skirt, long socks, and sandals. Underneath her blazer, she often wears a long-sleeve sweater that varies in style.
Due to her beauty, Aira exhibits a sense of arrogance and projects a sweet, innocent persona to the boys at her school, who often perceive her as a dunce. She enjoys the attention and admiration she receives as she walks through the halls, believing that her mere presence can uplift those around her. However, Aira also has a vicious side; after a confrontation with Momo, she attempted to spread a malicious rumor about her anonymously.
Initially, Aira developed delusions of grandeur after encountering one of Okarun’s kintama. She believed that her newfound ability to see spirits was a divine sign that she was chosen to protect the world from evil. Her vanity led her to think that her beauty was the key reason for her selection as the chosen one. After witnessing Momo use her psychic powers, which Aira referred to as “demon wings,” she accused Momo of being a demon and set out to defeat her. However, this mindset faded when she agreed to help prevent Jiji from swapping places with the Evil Eye.
In matters of romance, Aira struggles to express her feelings toward those she likes. After developing feelings for Okarun, she resorted to reading her father’s “magazines” for guidance on confessing her feelings, but her attempt ended in failure when she tried to kiss him forcefully.
Abilities and Powers
Supernatural Abilities:
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Spiritual Awareness: Aira had the ability to see spirits as a child, which she lost over time. However, after coming into contact with one of Okarun’s golden balls infused with spirit energy, she regained this ability.
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Acrobatic Silky’s Spiritual Power: After absorbing Acrobatic Silky’s aura, Aira inherited the yokai’s powers. When accessing these powers, she transforms, gaining voluminous hair and a mask resembling the yokai’s face, which covers down to her neck while leaving her left eye exposed. This transformation also influences her personality, making her more foul-mouthed toward those she perceives as disrespectful.
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Acrobatics: In her transformed state, Aira gains extraordinary agility and swiftness, allowing her to perform impressive acrobatic maneuvers. She can run along walls and execute flips, making her a challenging opponent to hit. After awakening this power, she effortlessly dodged attacks from Mr. Mantis Shrimp and evaded explosive musical notes from the Music Room Portraits.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
While Aira excels in agility, her acrobatic movements can be hindered, leaving her vulnerable to attacks. For instance, she was unable to evade punches from Mr. Mantis Shrimp when bound by Serpo’s psychokinesis. Additionally, when trapped in an illusionary terrain, her mobility was compromised, making it difficult to dodge attacks. Aira struggles to evade invisible attacks unless she anticipates them or has help from an ally.
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Enhanced Lower Leg Strength: Aira’s transformation grants her above-average physical leg strength, enabling her to execute powerful kicks. She has demonstrated this by destroying mechanical devices and launching opponents into the air.
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Enhanced Endurance and Durability: Aira has shown remarkable resilience, recovering quickly after sustaining heavy blows. She can withstand powerful attacks from larger opponents and remained conscious after facing multiple enemies simultaneously.
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Hair Manipulation: Aira’s most notable power is the ability to elongate and manipulate her hair. It is strong enough to lift heavy objects, bind targets, and perform various combat maneuvers. However, her hair is still susceptible to damage.
Usage of Powers
Aira combines her acrobatic skills with her hair manipulation in combat. She uses her enhanced leg strength for powerful kicks while employing her hair to grab and restrain opponents. Once entangled, she can either pull her enemies closer to attack or use her hair to swing herself toward them for added force. Her hair can also serve defensive purposes, forming a protective dome around her.
After learning about the Power of Words and Spiral Power from Momo and Okarun, Aira began to incorporate these abilities into her fighting style. She shapes her hair into drills for offensive attacks, allowing her to pierce through tough materials.
Techniques
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Pirouette Noble Drill: Aira uses Spiral Power to wrap her elongated hair around herself, forming a full-body drill. She launches herself at opponents while shouting the technique’s name to enhance its power. This technique has proven effective against armored foes.
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Power of Words: Aira can amplify her special attacks using the Power of Words in combat.
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Spiral Power: Aira can utilize Spiral Power to shape her hair into drills, enhancing her offensive capabilities.